NHS organisations in Devon received eight written complaints a day last year.

New figures from the NHS reveal that hospitals, ambulance services and other NHS bodies in the region received a total of 2,996 written complaints in 2016-17. That’s down slightly from 3,194 the year before, the figures from the Trinity Mirror Data Unit show.

The South Western Ambulance Service received the most complaints out of any NHS organisation in Devon, getting 1,394 in total over the course of the year.

That works out at one complaint for every three members of full time staff - the highest rate in Devon.

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In fact, the number of written complaints the NHS as a whole received last year was the highest on record, with 208,415 made in total - up from 198,739 in 2015-16, and just 131,022 in 2007-08.

Ambulance

Most complaints made across England were not to do with clinical treatment, but rather over other aspects of hospital service. The most common cause for complaint was communications, but patient care including nutrition and hydration was also a major issue.

Meanwhile, staff values and behaviours was also a relatively common concern, with more than one in 10 complaints relating to this.